Gliding Effortlessly With You
by PoeticGreen
Summary: Therese and Carol go ice skating in Central Park


January 6th, 1954

 **Madison Avenue, New York City**

Therese was wearing one of Carol's silk robes as she sat on the scarlet red love seat in the living room. She was reading a script for a small theatre company, which Harkevy had opened a few months prior to the new year. The play was about a young Irish immigrant making his was through the hustle and bustle that was New York City. Therese wasn't too interested in designing the set, because frankly she thought it was quite a bland storyline. But, it was flattering that Harkevy has come directly to her for this set, and at least it was an easy way to make some money. Any job was an opportunity to get a foot in the door for bigger productions.

She could smell the faint sweetness of Carol's perfume on the collar of the robe. It was a scent that wrapped around her like a soft embrace. _A hint of honey with lavender._ It reminded her of the sunshine rays in the spring. The same rays that pushed through the dark winter clouds and came through the glass of the French doors of their apartment. Even after being with Carol for this long, her favourite perfume made her stomach feel like a hurricane sweeping everything in its path.

Therese loved Wednesdays, because both she and Carol worked from home on that day. Though they would both retreat to opposite sides of the apartment doing their own work, it still felt comforting to know that the woman she loved was only a few feet away from her. Some mornings as Therese woke up seeing the sun behind her eyelids, she would still think that she was in Sioux Falls, sleeping in an empty bed worrying about Carol's wellbeing. As soon as the haze came, it would pass, and her stomach would stop turning after feeling Carol's strong arm wrapped around her front. Her heart would calm hearing soft snores and Carol's breasts pressed against her back. Carol always anchoring her down to the reality of the present.

 _This is our home._

Therese placed the script down onto the antique coffee table in front of the couch, got up and walked down the hallway. She followed the sounds of shuffling papers, and perfectly manicured red nails anxiously tapping on a lacquered oak wood desk.

"Everything good?" she said, leaning on the doorframe.

Carol quickly turned around in her seat, dropping a few papers from the edge of the desk.

"Oh! You scared me, darling. Yes, well, it's not easy negotiating prices with certain clients. Finances and whatnot aren't something-"

"-take a break for a while." Therese said, staring directly into the tired grey eyes, and shifting her weight from one foot to the other.

Carol had been working relentlessly to please the furniture storeowner since before the holiday season started. With the new year came a wave of new clients and sales quotas. It wouldn't be too difficult, but adjustment to change in the store made Carol nervous. It made her smoke a few more cigarettes than usual. Therese noticed the cloud of smoke that hung above the room.

Carol smirked. "I can't, I really should finish this."

Therese walked forward and put her hands on both of Carol's shoulders, squeezing them softly and feeling how tense she was. Carol closed her eyes as Therese massaged any knots in her neck and shoulders. Carol sighed loudly.

"Fine. What secret adventure did you have in mind?" Carol asked with a playful tone.

"Ice skating. We could go to Central Park." Therese stated confidently.

Carol looked back to the papers littering her desk, then up to the face of the woman she loved. She opened her sterling silver cigarette case, lit one up, and inhaled slowly. Therese had bought it for her as a Christmas stocking stuffer. Carol had tears brimming her eyes after opening the gift and seeing the monogrammed initials of her maiden name.

"You're very persuasive, Miss Belivet." Carol said exhaling and snapping the case shut with her right hand.

 **Wollman Rink, Central Park, New York City**

The entire thirty-minute taxi ride to Central Park was filled with frequent lingering glances between the two women. _Those grey eyes always find their way to fill the silence._

Therese remembered the first time she had gone ice-skating. It was the first winter after her mother had brought her to the school in Montclair. Sister Alicia had taken Therese by the hand, and led a few other young orphan girls to the ice rink right outside the dorm rooms. Sister Alicia taught her how to tightly lace up her skates around the ankles to prevent any injury, and off on the ice they went. At first, Therese was too shy and afraid she might make a fool of herself. As soon as she placed her skates on the ice, she felt like a fawn taking it's first steps on shaking knees. But quickly she got the hang of gliding her body weight across the ice. Sister Alicia had not only taught her to trust other people, but also place trust in her own abilities. After that evening, Therese had returned every weekend to the ice skating rink determined to improve, which made Sister Alicia proud of her.

Carol had paid for their admission to the ice rink and two pairs of rental skates. Without asking, Carol got a pair of size nine skates for herself, and a pair of size seven skates for Therese. Whether it was her favourite Broadway theatre play, or the way she took her coffee in the mornings, Carol always remembered. It was the little things like this that made Therese realize just how lucky she was to have Carol in her life.

After lacing up her own skates, Therese told Carol to sit on the bench just outside the rink, as she laced up her skates in the exact manner that Sister Alicia had taught her years ago.

 _"_ That's perfect. Thank you." Carol flashed her a smile.

"I do not want you getting hurt now." Therese said nudging Carol's ankles with her own.

They were surrounded by about a hundred other people at Wollman Rink, so it did not matter when Carol held onto her elbow for balance during the first entire hour of skating. Not a single person turned their attention towards them when Therese held both of Carol's hand as she taught her how to skate backwards. Although Therese had to reassure Carol that they were not being watched.

"Trust me, you will not fall. Just go along with the feeling under your skates." Therese had to remind her.

 _Being with her is as natural as skating across this ice._

Therese stood at the sidelines to catch her breath and watched Carol go around the rink. Carol gave her a quick wave. She was in awe of Carol. She looked magnificent in her caramel coloured mink fur coat, and her hand-knit red scarf. She was beautiful in every way possible, even with a few strands of blonde hair in front of her face.

 _She's red and gold. Just like the sunset over New York's skyline._

In that moment, Therese saw Carol letting go of her worries about the furniture shop sales, and her bent relationship with Rindy. Even when Carol lost her stance and fell down, they would both laugh brushing off the snow in her fur coat. Therese could swear she saw a youthful joy beyond the crinkles in the corner of her eyes. The same youth that Abby probably saw when they were younger, before Harge made any damage.

"I'm having a delightful time!" Carol giggled, interrupting her thoughts. She skated next to her putting an arm across the shoulder of Therese's black coat. "Come on, Therese!"

"Carol, could we bring Rindy here next time and teach her to ice skate?"

"I think she'd love that. Thank you for today."

 _We're both angels now._


End file.
